Health and Social Issues

From speech development to friendships, from genes to girls' experiences, you will find articles that explore the effect of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) on the health and social well-being of people with ASD and their families. Some of the information in several articles comes from research involving families in the Simons Simplex Collection (SSC) project.

Perfect Pitch: Autism's Rare Gift: Studies have found that people with autism are more likely to have this rare musical gift – or at least some version of it – than the general population. What's behind this remarkable ability?

Are Girls with Autism Hiding in Plain Sight? Why are so few girls diagnosed with autism? A growing number of studies, including one by IAN, suggests that autism looks a little different in girls — and this may affect the timing of diagnosis and whether girls get diagnosed at all.

What Does it Mean to Have Just a Hint of Autism?: Comedian Jerry Seinfeld stepped into a minefield when he diagnosed himself as being on the autism spectrum – "on a very drawn out scale." He complained of problems with social engagement and understanding figures of speech. Was he describing the Broad Autism Phenotype?